Four Useful Discourses, Sermon 2
Sermon II.
Luke 10. 6.
And if the Son of Peace be there, your Peace ſhall reſt upon it: If not, it ſhall turn to you again.
TO leave what was ſaid in the former Verſe, and to proceed to what remains:
In this Verſe, you have, Firſt, A Suppoſition, If the Son of Peace.
Secondly, A Deſcription of a good Hearer of the Goſpel, He is a Son of Peace.
Thirdly, The Bleſſing upon him, Your Peace ſhall reſt upon him. (We ſhall ſpeak to no more, only theſe Three things at preſent.)
Firſt, The Suppoſition, If the Son of Peace be there. Here there is a Suppoſition, That when the Lord ſends the Miniſtry of the Goſpel unto any place, that there will be ſome Sons of peace; it were a hard thing if we ſhould come and find no Sons of Peace. If the Son of Peace be there: As if Chriſt ſhould ſay, It is hopeful you may find ſome Sons of Peace. From whence the Point of Doctrine is this:
That when God doth ſend the Miniſtery of the Goſpel to any place, there is hopes that there is ſome Sons of Peace there.
There may be hope to Miniſters and others, that they ſhall find ſome that will entertain their Goſpel: In Acts 18. 9, 10. Then ſpake the Lord to Paul in the night, by a Viſion, Be not afraid, but ſpeak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man ſhall ſet on thee to hurt thee: For I have much People in this City. When God ſent Paul to Preach, there was a great deal of Oppoſition: Well, ſaith God, for all that Oppoſition, you ſhall Preach in this place: Why? For I have much People in this City. So that when God by His Providence, ſhall order the Word to come to any place, there is a hopeful Argument at leaſt, that God hath People in that City. In Mat. 10. Where you have Chriſt ſending of the Apoſtles to Preach, He bids them in ver. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the Cities of the Samaritans, enter ye not, ſaith Chriſt: But go rather to the loſt Sheep of the Houſe of Iſrael. As if Chriſt ſhould ſay, As for the Gentiles, and the Samaritans, I have yet none to Call there; the time is to come for the Gentiles to be Called: I would not therefore have you go thither, I would not have you loſe your Labour: But go unto the loſt Sheep of the Houſe of Iſrael. There are many of the Houſe of Iſrael, that are as loſt Sheep, that are wandering from God, and their own Happineſs: I would have you go thither, ſaith Chriſt; thereby Intimating that there were ſome to be Call'd there, rather than in the other place. The Miniſtry of the Goſpel, it is the great Gift of Jeſus Chriſt, that He gave when He Aſcended on high: And to what end did He give it? Mark, in Epheſ. 4. 11, 12. to what end it is: And He gave ſome Apoſtles: And ſome Prophets: And ſome Evangeliſts: And ſome Paſtours and Teachers: For the perfecting of the Saints: (So it is Tranſlated in your Books:) But the Word in the Original is, For the Joynting of the Saints; the putting of them into Joynt: At firſt, to put them into Chriſt, (and then that they may grow up) For the Work of the Miniſtry, for the Edifying of the Body of Chriſt. For the Building up of the Body of Chriſt. And this Text is quoted out of that Propheſie that we have in Pſal. 68. 18. Thou haſt aſcended on High, Thou haſt led Captivity Captive, Thou haſt received Gifts for men, &c. Here's a Propheſie of Chriſt clearly: And the Apoſtle doth apply it in Epheſ. 4. Chriſt received Gifts for men, here it is: And there it is, That He hath Diſpenſed Gifts to Men. And mark, Yea, for the Rebellious alſo. Thoſe Men that are the moſt Rebellious, yet Chriſt hath received Gifts for them: What Gifts? The Miniſtry of the Goſpel is the great Gift, that God the Father hath given to Chriſt, and Jeſus Chriſt hath given it unto His Miniſters, and ſends them among the Rebellious. And to what end? That the Lord God might dwell among them. So that by this it appears till God ſend the Miniſtry of the Word among a People, the Lord God doth not dwell there; for it is, That the Lord God might dwell among them. They are without God in the World, but when that comes unto a place, then the Lord God comes to Dwell among them. So that then, you ſee the Point clear by Scripture, when the Lord ſends the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, there is ſome hope that there is ſome good intended for ſome in that place.
And the Reaſons are theſe,Reaſ. 1. 1. Becauſe Chriſt ſends His Miniſters, according as His Father ſent Him. Now thus we have it in John 20. 21. Then ſaid Jeſus to them again, Peace be unto you; as my Father hath ſent me, even ſo ſend I you. Mark, As God the Father ſends Chriſt, ſo Chriſt ſends Miniſters. Well, How doth God the Father ſend Chriſt? Compare this Scripture with John 3. 17. Thus God the Father ſends His Son, He doth not ſend His Son into the World that He might Condemn the World: That is not Gods primary End to Condemn the World, but that that God doth Aim at, in ſending His Son into the World, it is, that by Him the World may be ſaved. Now then compare this Scripture with that other; ſaith Chriſt, As my Father ſent me, ſo ſend I you. Now my Father ſent Me into the World, not to Condemn the World, though by accident the World ſhall be Condemned, the rather becauſe of Chriſts comeing among them, and they refuſing Him: But this is the Scope of my Fathers ſending of Me into the World, that by Me the World may be Saved; and ſo do I ſend you▪ I ſend you to Places, not to Condemn them; not to Aggravate their Sin and their Condemnation: That is not my primary Intention, though this may fall out; but I ſend you to a place, that through your Miniſtry, Souls in that place may come to be Saved.
Reaſ. 2. A ſecond Reaſon is, from the Promiſe of Chriſt unto His Miniſters, when they go to any place to Preach. In the laſt words of the Goſpel by Saint Matthew, Chriſt ſends them to Preach; and ſaith He, Lo, I am with you alwayes, even unto the end of the World; I am with you to Aſſiſt you, and to Bleſs you whitherſoever you go, even to the end of the World. That is, with you, and with all that ſhall ſucceed you to Preach this Goſpel in any place, unto the end of the World.
Reaſ. 3. Further, We know that the Goſpel, it is the Arm of God, Iſa. 53. 1. Who hath believed our Report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed. And Rom. 1. 16. It is the Power of God unto Salvation. And if God Arm, and Gods Power unto Salvation come among a People, there is hopes that there is an Intention of ſome Good unto ſome of them.
Reaſ. 4. The Preaching of the Goſpel: It brings the Day of Grace and of Salvation, to any place whereſoever it comes; and ſo long as that doth continue to any place, ſo long the day of Grace and Salvation continues to the place. This you have clearly, 2 Cor. 6. beginning, We then as Workers together with Him, beſeech you alſo, that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain. For He ſaith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of Salvation have I ſuccoured thee: Behold, NOW is the accepted time, behold, NOW is the day of Salvation. Now: When was that Now? That was, when the Apoſtles came and Preached among them, the Doctrine of Reconciliation: Now is the accepted time, Now is the day of Salvation. Now if you come in, you may be accepted: Now is the time, that if you be appointed to be Sav'd, you muſt come in now.
Reaſ. 5. And this Scripture doth put me upon a Fifth Reaſon of the Point, and that is: That when the Goſpel comes to be Preached to a place, it doth not only make an Accepted time, and a day of Salvation: But it is the Fruit of the Prayer of Jeſus Chriſt, even of that Prayer that Chriſt hath made to God the Father, that He would in ſuch a time ſend the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, to be clearly and powerfully Taught in that place. And if you ask me where the place is that doth prove it, it is in Iſa. 49. 8. You have there almoſt the very ſome words that you have here: Thus, ſaith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of Salvation have I helped thee. Now this is clearly meant of Chriſt, if you look both unto the Coherence of the words, with what hath been before, and that which follows after: For, ſaith He, I will preſerve thee, and give thee for a Covenant of the People, to Eſtabliſh the Earth, to cauſe to Inherit the deſolate Heritages. Now ſaith God concerning Chriſt: Thus, ſaith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee. What is that acceptable time? It is that which the Apoſtle doth Interpret to be, A day of Salvation. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of an acceptable Time, and of a day of Salvation; and ſaith he, Now it is. Now while we are Preaching the glad Tidings of the Goſpel unto you. And here, ſaith the Holy Ghoſt, The Lord hath heard thee in an acceptable time, and in a day of Salvation. That is, When as Jeſus Chriſt did Pray to God the Father, for His Church that ſhould be; that God would ſend the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, unto thoſe whom the Father had given unto Him from all Eternity: I ſay, Jeſus Chriſt did Pray unto the Father for them. Now, ſaith God, I have heard thy Prayer, and I have granted what thou Prayeſt for. And this hearing of thy Prayer, it is an acceptable Time, and it is a day of Salvation. Thou haſt a day of Salvation according to thy prayer; and this very day the Apoſtle doth Interpret of ſending the Goſpel unto any place: So that where the Goſpel comes, it is not to be lookt upon as a thing that comes meerly by Accident, or by an ordinary Providence of God, as other things; but it is that that comes unto a place by Virtue of the Prayer of Jeſus Chriſt, of the Interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt unto the Father, for that particular Place, or Town, or Pariſh. And this is the Reaſon why the Lord leaves ſome places deſtitute of Help, in Ignorance and Darkneſs, that they ſcarce ever come to hear of Jeſus Chriſt: And others that it may be are in themſelves as unworthy as the other; they come to have the great things of the Goſpel opened to them: The reaſon of the difference is, Jeſus Chriſt hath Interceeded before the Father for the one, and not for the other; and one is the Fruit of the Prayer of Jeſus Chriſt, and the other Chriſt hath let go, becauſe they do not ſo belong unto Him: He hath not thoſe among them, that are to be made the Sons of Peace.
Reaſ. 6. Yet further, When the Goſpel comes to a place, there is hope of Good, becauſe that the Goſpel hath in it ſelf ſo much power. I ſay, it is not only as an Ordinance to convey the Word of God. But though Mans Words and Miniſtry hath little in it, yet the Truths of the Goſpel, they have in them a mighty Strength; there are ſuch wonderful things that the Goſpel doth Reveal whereſoever it comes, that one would wonder that the Hearts of all People ſhould not be taken with it. Yea, there are ſuch things that are made known in the Goſpel, that one would think might break the Heart of any Devil in Hell. That if God ſhould ſend the Goſpel unto the Devils (if they were not gone Irrecoverably) one would think that what is made known in the Goſpel, might break the heart of a Devil. O that God ſhould be Reconcil'd to Man! To ſend His own Son to Die for baſe Worms, upon whom the Lord might have Glorified His Infinite Juſtice upon to all Eternity. There is that in the Goſpel, that it is to Admiration, that all People do not come in unto it. What doth Chriſt ſay, If the Son of Peace. It is a wonder that all do not come in to Imbrace the Bleſſed Goſpel. The Patience of God doth Lead to Repentance; Then what might the Grace of God do, that is held out in the Goſpel? The Lord doth reveal ſuch Arguments to draw People, that to ſpeak after the manner of Men, we may conceive: That if the Lord ſhould have Studied and Contriv'd with His own Infinite Wiſdom, what ſtrong Arguments He would uſe to work upon the Hearts of the Children of Men; one would not have imagined how an Infinite Wiſdom, ſhould have found out ſuch to perſwade Men to come in. One may ſay of the Arguments of the Goſpel, as the Maſter of the Vineyard ſaid, when he had Let out his Vineyard to Huſbandmen, and ſent for Fruit; one Servant was beaten, and the other was miſuſed: But at laſt, ſaith he, I will ſend my Son, for ſurely they will reverence my Son. Why now, this may be ſaid of other Arguments. To compare thoſe things that are in the Goſpel, with all other things that can be Preached unto People: Indeed a Miniſter of God may come with many ſtrong Arguments, to draw the Hearts of People from their ſin, and to draw them unto Repentance. But now, this Argument will not do it, nor the other Argument will not do it; they ſtand out this and that Argument: I, but ſaith the Lord, I will ſend the Miniſtry of my Goſpel among them, I'll reveal my Son unto them. Certainly, they will Reverence this Argument, and their Hearts will be taken with this Argument. That's another Reaſon why there is great hopes, when the Miniſtry of the Goſpel comes, that there ſhould be ſome Sons of Peace found there.
Reaſ. 7. Further, Another is this, Becauſe it is the Way of God with a People, when He ſends them the Goſpel in the Power of it, and the Clearneſs of it: I ſay, the Way of God then, is not ſo much to have regard to any of their ſins, that ever were Committed before that time, but now to go as it were upon a new Score: I do not ſay, but if they ſhould periſh, then they muſt periſh for their old ſins too: But I mean thus, That when the Lord ſends the Miniſtry of the Goſpel to a place, the Lord now doth not ſo much look at any ſin that they liv'd in before, in the dayes of their Ignorance; there is none of thoſe ſins now that ſhall Damn them, upon condition that they now do Imbrace the Goſpel that is offered to them: Therefore there is a great deal of hope, that there may be ſome Sons of Peace: For the Riches of Gods Mercy hath not yet had the Glory; the Turn as it were of it towards this People, that yet have not had the Goſpel in the Clearneſs, and in the Power of it brought amongſt them. Now God looks thus upon a People, that He ſends His Goſpel unto. It's true, they have liv'd in Blindneſs, in Darkneſs, in Prophaneneſs, in Sabboth-breaking, in Ungodlineſs: Alas, they did not know what the Councels of my Will were, concerning the Eternal ſtate of their Souls, which is revealed in that Goſpel of Mine. They knew no better things that to Eat and Drink, and make proviſion for the Fleſh, therefore for all that time of their Ignorance, I will not regard, I will Wink at it. But now God Calls for Repentance: So you find it in Acts 17. 30. And the times of this Ignorance God Winked at, but now God Calleth all men every where to Repent. As if the Lord ſhould ſay, As for the times of your Ignorance, though you were very Prophane, very Superſtitious, very Ungodly, yet I am content to Wink at it; but now I am content to go, as it were, upon a new Score. Now come in and Repent, and your Souls ſhall live. Now, my Brethren, when Mercy comes to have a Turn towards a People, who knows what may be done. As thus, Now ſuppoſe that a Man hath lain Sick a long time, and his Sickneſs increaſes upon him, and it is very dangerous: If you ſhould come to ſuch a Man, and ſay, What means have you uſed? What Phiſicians have you had? Now it appears that he hath not uſed ſuch a Medicine that is Soveraign for ſuch a Diſeaſe, it hath not been tried; now if that Medicine hath not been uſed, you will have a great deal of hope concerning the Life of your Friend, until it be tried, and you ſee it doth no good, that it makes no alteration upon the body of your Friend. So it is here, People that have liv'd Prophanely, and Ungodlily, and their Hearts have not been brought to God. I, but what hath God revealed his Grace in Chriſt unto their Souls? Have they known the Bleſſed things of the Goſpel? If not, there may be a great deal of hope: For when Gods Mercy ſhall come to have its Turn upon this People, it's very like there are many, whom God intends Everlaſting good unto. But now to wind up this Point in a word of Application.
If this be ſo,Appl. O do not fruſtrate Hope! There are hopes that God intends Mercy to a People, when He ſends the Goſpel to be Preached to them at any time; though they may ſay, we have had it Preached to us before: Yet if He ſends it a-freſh, it ſeems that Mercy muſt have the ſecond Turn to this People. I ſay now, do not fruſtrate Hope.
Firſt, The Hope of God Himſelf.
You will ſay, The Hope of God, why, God knows whether it will work upon People, yea or no; and that cannot be Fruſtrated.
But for the Anſwer to that, We are to know, that God is pleaſed in Scripture, to Speak after the manner of Men, and God Himſelf doth Speak after this manner, as if He had ſome good hopes that People would be wrought upon, when He ſends His Miniſters among them. As that place which I named before, I will ſend my Son, ſurely they will reverence him: I hope that will prevail. And a ſuitable place we have of Gods expreſſing himſelf after this manner, in Jer. 36. 2, 3. Take thee a Roll of a Book, and Write therein all the Words that I have ſpoken unto thee againſt Iſrael, and againſt Judah, &c▪ It may be (ſaith God) that the Houſe of Judah will hear all the evil that I purpoſe unto them. Go your way and preach ſaith God unto the Prophet, it may be they will hear, and return every Man from his evil way. This was not now the Miniſtery of the Goſpel but of Threatings; and yet God ſpeaks with ſome expectation, as if ſo be he did expect that they ſhould; it may be they will, ſaith God. And ſo in Zeph. 3. 7. I ſaid, ſurely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive Inſtruction, ſo their dwelling ſhould not be cut off; howſoever I puniſhed them, but they roſe early, and corrupted all their doings: God was fruſtrated in his Expectation; yet I ſaid, ſurely thou wilt fear me. Thus the Lord, though he knows all his works from all eternity, yet he ſpeaks after the manner of Men; and ſaith, ſurely ſuch and ſuch means may do good upon ſuch and ſuch people: O therefore, let not the Expectation of the Lord be fruſtrated; and let not the expectatitions of the Miniſters of the Goſpel be fruſtrated. Certainly, when they come to any place, they are to come with their hearts filled with hope, that there are Sons of Peace in that place; and there is nothing that can incourage a faithful Miniſter of the Goſpel to ſpend his time in Studying, and Opening of the Myſteries of Grace more then this; that he comes with his Heart filled with hope, that there are ſome Sons of Peace in that place. O do not fruſtrate this expectation. It is a vile thing for the Miniſters of the Goſpel to come to any place, but to gain Sons of Peace: And indeed upon this expectation the heart of a faithful Miniſter, who underſtands what the meaning of Peace with God is, cannot but be drawn forth towards a People; why he comes with this expectation, and he looks after his Miniſtery to ſee what becomes of it. O therefore do not fruſtrate the Expectations of your Miniſters in this: Do not give them occaſion to make their Complaint, that they have ſpent their Strength in vain.
Yea, and further, As it is the Expectation of the Miniſters that Preach, ſo it is the Expectation of all the Saints of God. None of Gods People that know a place that hath Liv'd in Darkneſs and Blindneſs before, but if they ſee the Lord by His Providence, carrying the Miniſtry of the Goſpel with Power in that place, they think thus with themſelves, Whom is it that the Lord intends good unto? Surely the Lord hath a Mercy to ſuch a People. And they will wait to ſee who it is that God will pitch upon.
O likewiſe, Do not fruſtrate the Expectation that the Angels themſelves, in 1 Cor. 11. a place, I ſuppoſe you know, where the Women are to be Covered, becauſe of the Angels: It doth appear by that Text, that the Angels are in Congregations, when a Congregation is met together to hear the Word of God Preached, and for other Accounts, there the Angels are Met; And I make no queſtion, but this place is as full of Angels as of Men, and they are here preſent, and do look upon our Behaviour, and wait for the time when God will be pleaſed to Work upon the Hearts of ſome or other. O to what Family, to what particular Soul doth God intend good unto. O that we might know it, that we might have Joy in Heaven: For ſo the Scripture tells us, That at the Converſion of ſinners, there is Joy in Heaven, and ſurely they wait for it. O that we might ſee the Miniſtry of the Goſpel work effectually upon Souls, that ſo we might joy for it.
And now let every particular Soul reaſon thus with it ſelf: What is it ſo, that there is hope that there may be ſome Sons of Peace; why may it not be I, though vile, though a very wretched Creature? Yet I hear that the time of Ignorance God winks at, only now He calls to Repent: If I feel God beginning to jogg my Heart now, I may be the Man or Woman, that the Lord intended from all Eternity. For we are to know, that which God doth now in time, is no other than He did determine from Eternity: And I ſay, if you feel your Hearts ſtirred, and wrought upon by the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, you may know that God did intend you in particular. And Chriſt, when He did Pray to God the Father for this acceptable time, that you were particularly intended in that Prayer of His; and you are not excluded to be ſaved any more than any, and therefore it may fall upon you. Perhaps in a Family, it may fall upon the poor Servant, or Child, and the others may be left: But ſome or other it is like, it will fall upon.
And, my Brethren, If this be ſo, if there be hopes when the Goſpel comes to be Preached, that there are Sons of Peace in that place, it is a moſt Curſed thing for any to ſtand to oppoſe the Goſpel, when it comes to any place. It is very ſeldom but ſome or other will be Railing, and Crying out againſt it: But take heed what thou doſt, Wilt thou ſtand againſt God, to croſs God in ſuch a bleſſed End as this is? It may be the Lord hath ſome Souls in that place, He intends Eternal good unto: And wilt thou ſtand out againſt that, and croſs God? But eſpecially take heed you do not oppoſe the Goſpel, in any place where there is not only a remote hopes, but it comes to be Nearer and Fuller than it was before, and there is ſome real Manifeſtation that God intends Good unto ſome: O take heed of thy Oppoſition of it there. This was the Reaſon that Paul was ſo mightily provok'd, when Elimas came to reſiſt his Miniſtry; of which you may read in Acts 13. There was one Sergius Paulus, which ſent for Barnabas and Saul, and deſired to hear the Word of God. Now this Sergius Paulus was a Chief Man in the place where Paul Preached, he was the Deputy, and there was good hopes that God would Convert his Soul. And Elimas the Sorcerer, he ſtood and oppoſed, and ſought to turn away the Deputy from the Faith. Now when Paul was in ſo good a hope that he ſhould gain not only a Soul, but a publick Man, that might do a great deal of good: O the Spirit of Paul was mightily provok'd! He looks upon Elimas, and ſets his Eyes upon him (the Text ſaith) and and ſaid: O full of all Subtilty, and all Miſchief, thou Child of the Devil, thou Enemy of all Righteouſneſs, wilt thou not ceaſe to pervert the Right Wayes of God, &c. Paul was a Man of a very Quiet and Meek Spirit, and yet mark how full of Paſſion he was at this time: O this provok'd the Spirit of Paul, he was not able to bear it. We never read that Paul was ſo troubled when they Perſecuted him, when they put him into Priſon: But as if Paul ſhould ſay, Do with me what you will, put me into Priſon, do what you will with my Carcaſs; but do not fruſtrate my Expectation in Gaining a Chief Man, that may do a great deal of Service for God. When he was but in fear that he ſhould be fruſtrated of his hope, he was not able to bear it. And certainly, nothing can go ſo near to the Heart of any Faithful Miniſter, as that there ſhould be any to ſtand to fruſtrate his hope of Gaining of Souls. Perhaps in a Family, if one or two doth but go to hear the Word, the others will be Scorning and Jeering; and one Neighbour will be Scorning at another, and all to fruſtrate the Hopes of God, of His Miniſters, and of the Saints and Angels. But know, when thou do'ſt any thing to oppoſe the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, thou do'ſt ſet thy ſelf what in thee lies, both to fruſtrate the Hopes of God and His Miniſters, and His Saints and Angels; and thou wilt find this to be a hard work, thou do'ſt but Kick againſt the Pricks. And thus much for this Point, we come now unto the next.
That good Hearers of the Goſpel,Doct. 2 are called the Sons of Peace: If the Son of Peace be there. They are ſometimes called, The Children of the Kingdom, as in Mat. 13. there they have that Title given unto them. Thoſe that are good Hearers of the Word, in the Parable that you have about the Seed.
Thoſe that Imbrace the Goſpel, and are the good Hearers of it, they are the Sons of Peace, and that in a Five-fold regard:
Firſt, Becauſe they are ſuch as are ordained to Peace, as the Son of Perdition, one that is appointed to Perdition.
Secondly, They are thoſe that do attend upon the Goſpel of Peace, as in Mark 2. 19. The Children of the Bride-Chamber, thoſe that do attend upon the Goſpel.
Thirdly, Becauſe they are Obedient unto the Goſpel: As the Sons of Belial, are Sons of Wickedneſs; ſo the Sons of Peace, ſuch as yield Obedience unto the Goſpel of Peace.
Fourthly, The Sons of Peace, becauſe they are Begotten by the Miniſtry of the Goſpel.
Fifthly, Becauſe they are ſuch as ſhall Inherit the Peace of the Goſpel, therefore Sons of Peace.
There is ſomewhat that every one of theſe may afford unto us, but I take the firſt Three are principally meant; therefore of the other I ſhall ſpeak of but a little by the way.
The Firſt is, Becauſe they are appointed unto that Benefit of the Goſpel of Peace: So that from thence the Point is this:
That all thoſe that are good Hearers,Doct. and Entertainers of the Miniſtry of the Goſpel that comes to any place, they are ſuch as are appointed from all Eternity to enjoy the Peace of the Goſpel. Judas was not more a Son of Perdition, than ſuch a one is a Son of Peace. That is, There was no more Evidence that Judas was appointed to Eternal perdition, than there is certain Evidence that ſuch a one is appointed from all Eternity to enjoy the Benefit of the Goſpel.
I ſhall give you theſe two Scriptures for it, the firſt is in Acts 2. latter end, And the Lord added to the Church, (that is, Converted to Himſelf, made His Goſpel effectual) daily ſuch as ſhould be ſaved; ſuch as were appointed to be Saved. And another Scripture there is, which ſaith, That all thoſe which were ordained to Eternal Life, believed. But above all, I will give you this one Scripture, in 1 Theſ. it is a moſt excellent Text for this purpoſe, and a mighty Encouraging Text to all thoſe, that ſhall be found good Hearers of the Goſpel: Chap. 1. 4, 5. Knowing, Brethren beloved, your Election of God. We know that you are thoſe whom God hath Eternally Elected: How do you know that? Were you in the Counſel of God, in Gods Treaſury, to know what His Thoughts were: How can you tell the Election of God? Mark, The Words following doth give you the Reaſon for what He ſaith, knowing your Election of God: For our Goſpel came not unto you in Word only, but alſo in Power. Indeed when the Goſpel comes to a place, if it comes in Word only unto a Congregation, they come indeed to hear, and flock to hear what a Man can ſay; This is no Argument of a Mans Election: but when it comes not only in Word but in Power, when you begin to feel the Power of the Word upon your Hearts. Though you come, it may be, at firſt out of Curioſity and Novelty, and took notice of nothing that would be done; but when you came there, the Goſpel took hold upon your Spirits, and over-powered your Hearts. Now by that you may know, that you are one that are appointed unto the Benefit of the Goſpel of Peace, that you are Elected of God. Thoſe Souls that feel the Power of the Goſpel upon them, may know certainly that they were Elected from all Eternity. As if God ſhould Speak from Heaven, and ſay, Such a Man or Woman, they are Elected from all Eternity; we may now as well doubt of that Voice, as we may doubt of a Man or Woman, that hath the power of the Goſpel upon their Hearts: So that is appears by this Text, that where there are good Hearers of the Goſpel, they are the Sons of Peace; that is, appointed for all Eternity to have the benefit of Peace. And there are theſe particulars in this:
Firſt, They may know that the Lord had Thoughts upon them in particular, before the World was; yea, that the Lord, when He ſaw the great Lump of Mankind before Him, He ſet apart theſe for the Praiſe of His Grace in Chriſt for ever: Left others, and ſet apart theſe.
Yea, They may know, that there were Tranſactions between the Father and the Son, about their Souls in particular, from all Eternity.
Yea, you may further know, That God the Father did give them unto His Son from Everlaſting: For ſo Chriſt ſaith, That thoſe come to Him, whom the Father hath given Him. There are a certain Number, that God the Father hath given to Jeſus Chriſt, to Redeem from all Eternity; and ſaid to Him, Son, take theſe Souls, and do you undertake for them: And He hath made Anſwer, Father, I do undertake to Satisfie Thy Wrath and Juſtice for them. Now were it not a bleſſed thing to know, that when there were ſuch Tranſactions between the Father and the Son, that thou wert mentioned in particular, that God the Father did give thee by Name to His Son. Certainly, if thou beeſt an Entertainer of the Goſpel, thou mayeſt be certain of this thing.
Further, Thou mayſt know this; As God the Father did give thee to His Son, ſo He did make a Promiſe to ſave thee. There was a Covenant between the Father and the Son for thy Salvation, according to that Text in Tit. 1. 2. That Scripture ſpeaks of a Promiſe of Eternal Life before the World began: How could there be a Promiſe before the World began? To whom could it be made? When there is a Promiſe made, there muſt be ſome body to receive it? Surely it was: The Promiſe was between the Father and the Son, from all Eternity, concerning thy Soul in particular.
Yea, and further, Thou may'ſt know, That when God did ſend His Son to take Mans Nature upon Him, He ſent Him into the World, to have a care of thy Soul, as well as any others.
Yea, and further, That when God did from all Eternity appoint, that at ſuch a time and place, ſuch means ſhould be for good; that He did likewiſe Aim at thee. And indeed, many may ſee the Work of God wonderful this way. Thus thoſe that are good Hearers of the Goſpel, they are the Sons of Peace, in this Firſt regard, becauſe they are appointed by God, unto the Benefit of the Peace of the Goſpel, from all Eternity. And it may be a mighty Encouragement unto thoſe, who do begin to feel the Goſpel to be powerful upon their Hearts.
Secondly, The other is, A Son of Peace, that doth attend upon the Goſpel. That is, when the Miniſtry of the Goſpel doth come, he doth make it his care to make preparation for it; he doth come to hear the Goſpel as a matter of great Moment; and when he doth come to hear, he doth bend his whole Soul to attend to what is heard, and he dares not give liberty to the wandering of his Thoughts: And he doth charge his Memory with ſuch and ſuch truths, to think of theſe whatſoever he doth forget. And here's now a Son of Peace; as the Children of the Bride-Chamber, they are ſuch as do attend there: So he, A Son of Peace, attends upon the Miniſtry of the Goſpel. Now by this Second, thou mayſt know the Firſt; thou mayſt know whither thou beeſt a Son: That is, whither thou beeſt one that from all Eternity, wert ſet apart by God the Father, to obtain the Peace and Benefits of the Goſpel.
But, Thirdly, The Son of the Goſpel, is to be as an Obedient Child: To come with a Reſolution, when he comes to hear the Word, Whatſoever the Lord ſhall this day make known of his Mind unto me, the Lord knows, that I would fain yield unto it. I come with this Reſolution, every time I come to hear the Miniſtry of the Goſpel: This is now a Son of Peace, that comes with ſuch a Heart, reſolved to be Obedient unto it.
2. He doth open his Underſtanding, and is eaſily Convinc'd of thoſe Truths, that he doth hear Revealed in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, he doth not ſtand Oppoſing of them.
3. He doth open his Heart, to accept of the Conditions of the Covenant; when the Lord Reveals the Doctrine of the Covenant of Life and Peace, the Soul doth open it ſelf, to admit of the Conditions of the Covenant. Lord Speak, thy Servant hears: Reveal what Thou wilt, my Soul is here ready and willing, to accept of the Covenant whatever it be.
Further, He doth give up himſelf to be Moulded by the Goſpel, according to that Phraſe, in Rom. 6. 17. The Doctrine into which ye were delivered. So it is in the Original, that is, There is a delivering of the Soul up to the Miniſtry of the Word, as the Mettle is to the Mould, to be Faſhioned by it. So here, a Son of Peace doth give up his Soul to be Moulded by the Word; whatſoever he was before, yet here he is now ready to give up his Soul to be Faſhioned, to be Framed by the Word. Here's a Son of Peace.
Further, He doth in his Converſation, Act what he doth hear in the Miniſtry of the Word; and he doth indeavour to Live according to the glorious Goſpel that he doth hear, and he doth Labour to become the Goſpel: So that one may know in ſuch a ones Family, and in ſuch a ones Life, a mighty deal of Alteration.
And again, Such a one as is Begotten by it, is not only Obedient, but indeed, there is the work of Regeneration wrought, and therefore he may be called a Son, ſaith the Apoſtle, I have Begotten you by the Goſpel. And ſo, by the Word of Truth, you are Begotten. Abundance of Scriptures might be for this: Thoſe that the Goſpel works Savingly upon, the Goſpel doth not only ſtir their Hearts, but put a new Life into them. They live by new Principles, by new Rules; they find a mighty Power in the Goſpel to Beget them again: And ſuch as theſe are, are Sons, becauſe they are Heirs of the Goſpel, Children of the Kingdom. But that we ſhall have more uſe of in the other place, when we ſpeak of the Bleſſing of the Goſpel that ſhall be upon them.
Now to Apply theſe in a few words.Appl. The good Hearers of the Goſpel, are the Sons of Peace. O what a bleſſed thing it is, to be the Sons of Peace! Better to be the Son of Peace, than a Monarch, than of the greateſt of the World; better to be this Son of Peace, than to injoy all the World. If the Lord ſhould give thee the Inheritance of all the World, He doth not do ſo much for thee, as when He makes thee to be a Son of Peace. It may be many of you were Born very mean, and you are like to Inherit but little of this World; but if the Lord work upon your Hearts in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, that which comes by this, makes you bleſſed Creatures for ever: For by this means, you come to be the Sons of the Living God: You come to be the Children of Life, and Co-heirs with Jeſus Chriſt. O how Induſtrious ſhould Miniſters of the Goſpel be, to Beget ſuch Sons of Peace to God. St. Paul, in Gal. 4. he tells the Galatians there, that he did Labour and Travel in Birth, till Chriſt was formed in them: My little Children of whom I Travel in Birth again, until Chriſt be formed in you▪ A Faithful Miniſter of the Goſpel doth even Travel in Birth, that he might beget Sons of Peace to Jeſus Chriſt. And, O the Bleſſedneſs of this Work, for God to ſet Men on Earth to this Work, to Beget Sons of Peace. If we ſhould Beget you to be Children of the Bond-woman, it were ſomewhat; that is, to ſtrike fear into your Hears by the Terror of the Law: I, but to Beget you to be Children of Peace, and of the Free-woman; this is a great deal more. This is ſuch a Work, as it is that which doth ſatisfies the Soul of Jeſus Chriſt when He ſees it: It ſatisfie His Soul for all His Sufferings: As in Iſa. 53. 10, 11. Yet it pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe Him: That is, It pleaſed God the Father, to bruiſe Jeſus Chriſt. For this is an Evangelical Chapter. When thou ſhalt make His Soul an Offering for ſin. Mark, He ſhall ſee His Seed, He ſhall prolong His dayes; and the Pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in His hand: He ſhall ſee ſome Children Born unto Him, ſome Sons of Peace. But, Mark, He ſhall ſee of the Travel of His Soul, and ſhall be ſatisfied. So that when there is a Son of Peace, he is the Fruit of the Travel of the Soul of Jeſus Chriſt; and he is the Fruit at the Second hand, of the Travel of the Souls of Gods Miniſters, their Souls Travel, as you heard before in Paul, but that not ſo much. He is the Fruit of the Travel of the Soul of Jeſus Chriſt; the Soul of Chriſt Travels with this Birth, and this Work of God upon the Heart of ſuch a one, it is the Fruit of this Travel of the Soul of Chriſt.
And Mark further, And He ſhall be ſatisfied. As if the Holy Ghoſt here ſhould ſay, Let but Jeſus Chriſt ſee a Soul brought in to Himſelf, let Him but ſee any Begotten to be the Sons of Peace, Chriſt ſaith, I am ſatisfied, for all the Blood that I have ſhed, for all my Sufferings; I have been willing to come from the Boſom of my Father, to take your Nature upon me, and I did endure the Withdrawings of my Father, when I cried, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me. I was made a Man of Sorrows, and my Father did Bruiſe me, and my Soul was made an Offering for ſin. But now, What will ſatisfie the Soul of Jeſus Chriſt for all this? Saith he, Let me ſee the Travel of my Soul, let me ſee the Miniſtry of the Goſpel to work upon ſome Soul, to make them to be Sons of Peace, I have then what I have Travelled for, I am ſatisfied; I think this is even worth my Suffering, I account my Sufferings well Anſwered; I account my Blood well laid down, that I might gain theſe Souls unto my ſelf. O what an Encouragement is here unto Souls to Imbrace the Goſpel, to be the Children of Peace. And how ſhould you ſeek unto God, for your Children and Friends. O that God would make His Goſpel effectual to Beget them to be Sons of Peace. You that are tender Mothers, you ſhould look upon your Children, and think thus: It may be the Lord hath ſome Thoughts of good unto this Child; and when they come to hear the Word, you ſhould pray earneſtly for them, that the Lord would Speak a Word to their Souls: And you ſhould take as much Pains, and as earneſtly Pray, that the Second Birth may be perfected, as you did for the Firſt Birth. So it was with Auſtins Mother, he ſaith, She did take as much pains, and ſhed as many Tears for the Converſion of his Soul, as ſhe did at his Firſt Birth; and ſo ſhe obtain'd her Labour. I put this to you that are Mothers, you complain of your Children: Have you Laboured as much for the Second Birth of your Children, as your Labour was when you did Bear them in your Wombs? It was ſo with that gracious Mother for her Son. You have Sons, it may be, that are rather Sons of Belial, now you ſhould Strive with God in Prayer, and Labour to the uttermoſt of your Power, that they may be wrought upon by the Goſpel, to be made the Sons of Peace by it.